He Blinded Me... With Science
He Blinded Me... With Science is the fifteenth episode of Season 2 and the twenty-eighth episode of the series overall. It aired March 22, 2016 and had 1.21 million viewers. Plot While investigating the murder of a research scientist who was recently demoted at her job, Liv and Detective Babineaux are shocked to learn where she had been employed. Meanwhile, Blaine pays Ravi a visit at the morgue, and Liv discovers something new about Drake. Lastly, Vaughn Du Clark confronts Major. http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings/20160303cw04/ Recap Blaine sits on the bus heading back into Seattle in his zombie state, and comments on the music that a passenger is listening to. At the morgue, Liv tells Ravi about Gilda infiltrating her life. Ravi is more concerned about the charred corpse that he's examining, and repeats Liv's story back to her. He has her eat the corpse's brain and is soon cleaning beakers. Clive comes in and says that the victim is Dr. Eleanor Cash, 52, single, and on unemployment for the last year. Ravi confirms that her face was doused with a Canadian lighter fluid and set on fire. Eleanor was a scientist for Nescott Laboratories, and one of their subjects had a bad reaction to their new acne medication. The subject, Annie Rosine of Alberta, sued and Eleanor was fired in disgrace. Liv suggests that the murder is connected, and Clive invites Liv to come with him to talk to Annie. Once they leave, Blaine staggers in moaning that he has brains... and then straightens up and speaks normally, admitting that he does need brains and asks if Ravi has any. He explains that he had to take the edge off before he started eating people, and Ravi offers him Eleanor's brain as the only one he has. Ravi explains that their test rat died and the cure's effects are temporary. He warns Blaine that the next phase after reversion isn't far behind, but says that they found new Utopium and he's working on a real cure. Blaine points out that if he dies, a horde of brain-hungry zombies will run around Seattle. Ravi suggests he hand over his list of clients, but Blaine refuses and asks Ravi to call him an Uber. Clive and Liv go to Annie's home and Clive goes over her file. She signed onto the drug trial to raise extra money. Annie answers the door and her face is unharmed, and Clive explains who they are. A boy across the street yells "Freak!" when he sees Annie. Inside, Annie explains that she didn't get much money in the suit. At the trial, Eleanor and her partner Dr. Alan Benway blamed each other, and both of them were fired. Between the small settlement and the loans, Annie was able to get plastic surgery. Supposedly the acne medicine reacted with the anti-anxiety meds that Annie was taking. Annie admits that she wished horrible deaths on everyone beyond, but lost her murder when she got the surgery. She gives them her alibi and says that they can check it. A Super Maxed Vaughn summons Major to his office and boasts about his boundless energy from the energy drink. He then prepares to give Major a new list of zombies to hunt down, and Major says that he's just found out Gilda was Liv's roommate. He insists that he's passed all of Vaughn's tests, and admits that he and Gilda were sleeping together. Vaughn is less than thrilled that Major was in bed with his daughter, just as Gilda comes in with the list. The CEO brings up the sex, and Major tells Gilda that it was an accident. Vaughn removes Gilda's sunglasses and discovers that she has a black eye, and Major suppresses a grin. When Vaughn starts throwing things at Major, Gilda says that it was Liv and tells Major to go. At the funeral home, Don E and Chief look at the vials of Utopium hid in a coffin. Blaine arrives wearing Ravi's clothing and explains what happened. He points out that Drake didn't tell them anything even though he's their inside man, but figures that Boss believes that Blaine is dead. Blaine tells Chief and Don E that they're going to lie low for the moment and goes to change. In the squad room, Clive confirms that light fluid was use don Eleanor. Dale talks to him privately and says that the FBI had the Canadians search Angus' cabin in the Canadian woods. They found human brains in the refrigerator, and when they call the FBI coroner, he says that the last brain was human as well. The report that Dale and Clive read said it was a cow brain, and Clive figures that someone changed it. Liv is at home when Drake calls to say that he's late again. She calculates all of the hypotheses and decides that she needs additional data. When Drake shows up, Liv says that he wants to go to The Snake Eye, the bar where Drake works as a bouncer. They go there and all of the regulars greet Drake. They get drinks at the bar, and Liv confirms that Drake has a job and told people about her. She figures that Drake is on the level, just as a woman named Molly comes over and asks to talk to Drake. Molly insists that it's important, and Liv says that it's okay. As Drake goes with Molly, Liv figures that she needs more data and is happy she slipped a disposable phone under Drake's seat so she could trace him. When Liv returns to the morgue, she finds Ravi dissecting the newest test rat. He's surprised when Liv starts suggesting possibilities. Clive comes in and Ravi hastily covers the rat over. The detective says that Annie's alibi checks out, and he found where Alan is working. They go the pirate-themed bar where Alan is working as a pirate, and Clive tells him that Eleanor is death. Alan points out that he's stuck in a dead-end job, and Eleanor is the one who failed to do the clinical interaction studies. At the trial, Eleanor blamed Alan and now he's stuck at the bar. Alan was at home alone the night of Eleanor's murder. A waitress tells Alan to get back to work, and Liv has a vision of Vaughn berating Eleanor. She tells Clive that Eleanor worked at Max Rager. Clive and Liv visit Vaughn and ask him if Eleanor works there. He denies it but recognizes the photo of Eleanor as Dr. Erving. The secretary tells him that Erving didn't come in again, and Liv explains that she's dead. Vaughn says that Eleanor did energy drink research and Liv starts asking for scientific specifics. The CEO says that he had Eleanor demoted for failing to deliver results on time. Vaughn's security man Janko comes in and Liv spots his gun. She whispers to Clive that Vaughn isn't telling them something, and Vaughn dismisses them. At home, Liv puts on makeup and a wig, and receives a signal that Drake is on the move. Drake told her that Molly got pregnant and needed a friend to vent with. The tracker shows that Drake is visiting his mother, but Liv isn't convinced. At the morgue, Ravi admits that Liv's early suggestion was helpful. He texts Blaine to keep him in the loop, and Liv explains that she's disguised so they don't recognize her at Max Rager. As she goes, Ravi reminds her that she promised Clive she wouldn't investigate on her own. Liv insists that Vaughn is pure evil. Major goes to the funeral home with Vaughn's list. Blaine comes up behind him and Major realizes that he's a zombie again. When Blaine starts rattling off scientific explanation, he apologizes for Eleanor's brain affecting him. Major realizes that he'll end up as a zombie and then die, and Blaine assures him that they're working on a cure. Drake is on the list, and Blaine assures him that everything is fine. At Max Rager, Liv interviews with the scientists and they're surprised at how much she knows. The head scientist explains that Vaughn has been pushing them and is an inspiration, and Liv wonders why there's an opening. The scientists say that someone set a researcher on fire, and they didn't know her because they don't have clearance to the basement. They show Liv around and she asks about the equipment in the basement, and the head scientist reminds her that they don't have access. Liv goes to the restroom and Gilda catches a glimpse of her and recognizes her despite her disguise. Meanwhile, Liv ducks into an elevator and puts her hand on the security scanner. An alarm goes off and the elevator goes up. Janko and Vaughn wait at the elevator, and when they open the door they find Liv calling to leave a message at the station that she's at Max Rager. Janko confirms that Liv wasn't talking to anyone, and Vaughn confirms that Liv came there on her own to snoop around. Liv points out that Eleanor worked in the basement, and Vaughn says that he has business secrets there. She suggests that Eleanor's death was related to trade secrets and asks to talk to the workers there, and Vaughn tells her to get out. Clive goes back to Annie's house with information on the Canadian lighter fluid that was used to kill Eleanor. The boy from earlier yells at Annie to come out, and Clive goes over to him. The kid says that he's trying to get video of the freak, and Clive says that Annie was all fixed up. Despite that, the boy says that he saw Annie a week ago and her face was disfigured. Back at the station, Clive calls on the title to Annie's house. Liv comes over and says that they need a warrant to search the max Rager basement. She claims that she had a vision, but Clive is more interested in who owns the deed. Liv notices the file on the lighter fluid, and Clive says that he thinks he has it figured. They go back to Annie's house and approach her as she gets in her car. Liv sees her disfigured face, and gets a flash of a zombie attacking Eleanor. Clive tells Annie that her sister's name is on the deed to the house, and figures that the two of them planned Eleanor's death together. The Canadian lighter fluid comes from Alberta, but Annie insists that she didn't know anything about it. Her twin sister Jenny comes out and says that she killed Eleanor because the settlement wasn't fair to either of them. Jenny wanted to be an archaeologist, but she's stuck being Annie's nurse. She tracked down Eleanor and burned her alive for lying about how she caused Annie's disfigurement. Later at the morgue, Liv tells Ravi about the vision of the zombie she had. Ravi suggests that Liv got a flash of Eleanor watching a horror movie. Blaine arrives to check out the new cure, and he and Liv talk shop. Ravi shows them the new cure and warns that they have no idea of its long-term effects. He gives it to Blaine, who bids them adieu. Liv gets new data that Drake went to an unlisted location. Drake waits in Boss' office, and Boss tells him that they buried the competition: literally. He explains that his former employee was running a funeral home, and Drake realizes who it is. As they leave, Liv secretly watches from across the street and realizes that Drake works for Boss. She goes to Ravi's home and tells him what she learned, and figures that she's been dating a criminal. Liv wants to confront Drake and see if he can offer an alternative, and Ravi tells her to meet Drake in a public place. At the funeral home, Chief and Don E prepare to bury the Utopium. Blaine comes down and Chief serves him the newest brain. He contemplates the cure and admits that it could cure him or kill him. Blaine gives Chief and Don E folders with all of the business info, and tells them to keep it going if he dies. However, he advises them to stay out of the Utopium business because Boss is too dangerous. Blaine thanks them for their faithful service and takes a drink of wine. In the Max Rager basement, Dr. Lockett gives the captive zombie Super Max and tells Vaughn and Gilda that the energy drink magnifies the user's drink. He points out that any new violent incidents will be committed by super-strong super-fast tireless Super Max drinkers, but Vaughn figures that the company comes out ahead because they can sell Super Max to anyone who needs to take down the psychotics. He then prods the zombie with a cattle prod. It goes berserk and pulls free, grabbing Lockett and attacking him. Gilda prods the zombie off of Lockett, and Vaughn runs to the elevator. He closes the door before Gilda can get there, and the zombie attacks Gilda. Vaughn returns to his office and pours himself a drink. As he considers what happens, the elevator door opens again. Vaughn turns around and a zombified Gilda pounds on the door, begging her father to let her in. He stares at her, and Gilda walks off. Liv goes to the pirate bar and waits for Drake. Drake pulls up outside just as his mother calls. He tells her that he has to go. Don E hears Blaine at his desk, coughing. Blaine is checking a website for muscular dystrophy since the last brain he ate was a bicyclist for Jerry's Kids. Liv waits but Drake never shows. Outside, Drake tries to get off the phone with his mother. Blaine finally injects himself with the cure. As Drake gets out of his truck, Major drugs him unconscious and tosses him in the trunk of his car. He drives off just as Liv comes outside, tired of waiting. Cast Starring *Rose McIver as Olivia Moore *Malcolm Goodwin as Clive Babineaux *Rahul Kohli as Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti *Robert Buckley as Major Lilywhite *David Anders as Blaine DeBeers Recurring *Eddie Jemison as Mr. Boss *Greg Finley as Drake Holloway *Leanne Lapp as Rita *Bryce Hodgson as Don E. *Steven Weber as Vaughn Du Clark Zombie Traits/Skills Liv *'Dr. Eleanor Cash' – Scientific knowledge Brain Food *"Bunsen Brain Broth" — Liv makes a quick stew in a Bunsen burner using a beef bouillon cube added to make a broth, sliced onions, potatoes and carrots. *"Brain tartar" — Blaine digs into a full-sized, whole brain on a plate, dashed with hot sauce; accompanied with a very nice looking bottle of red wine and classical music. Comic Panel Titles *THE MEAL'S ON THE BUS *FEED ME, SEE MORGUE *TO ERR IS HUMAN, TO FORGIVE IS BOVINE *COLD HARD CASH *INTERVIEW WITH THE ZOMBIE *KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS *SHE FINDED ME WITH SCIENCE Title Meaning *'He Blinded Me... With Science' – The title paraphrases the 1982 song by Thomas Dolby, "She Blinded Me with Science", while hinting at the death of a scientist in the episode. Trivia *During the episode, Liv decides to go under an alias, "Gwen", which refers to her comic book character Gwen Dylan. Gallery 215Promo1.png 215Promo2.png 215Promo3.png 215Promo4.png 215Promo5.png 215Promo6.png 215Promo7.png 215Promo8.png 215Promo9.png 215Promo10.png 215Promo11.png 215Promo12.png References Category:Season 2 Episodes